iN PHOTOS: Kamloops’s new Fresh St. Market isn’t your typical grocery store

An innovative new grocery store opened its doors in Kamloops this weekend, and we just had to go check it out.

The long-anticipated Fresh St. Market opened for business yesterday, Nov. 22, across from the food court in Aberdeen Mall.

Fresh St. Market is a B.C. company with locations in Whistler, Vancouver and Surrey. The idea behind the brand is combining the practicality of a grocery store with the feeling of a local farmer's market.

The Kamloops location is spacious, housing ten tills, a self-checkout section and ten main departments. 

As soon as you walk into Fresh St. Market, you'll find a café serving drip coffee, lattes, teas and fresh local donuts. If you don't immediately make a beeline for the goodies on your right, you'll find yourself facing Fresh St. Market's large specialty cheese selection.

Many of these products are locally sourced right here in B.C., like the Village Cheese Company in Armstrong and Salt Spring Island Cheese. You'll know which ones by their clearly marked B.C. tags. 

Fresh St. Market is all about local, and although not all their products are made in B.C., you'll see more locally sourced goods there than in a big chain grocery store. 

A unique aspect of Fresh St. Market are their different departments. While they offer fresh produce, dried and frozen goods, a deli and a limited selection of cleaning and household products, they also have features you would typically only find at an open-air street market. 

You can grab some sushi or a poke bowl, freshly-made before your eyes, at their Sushi & Poke stand.

You will also find a large variety of specialty desserts, like cakes, tarts, bars, cinnamon buns, cookies and even macaroons. 

They also have fresh breads, croissants and buns. Needless to say, the store smells heavenly, so shopping on an empty stomach can be a slow torture.  

There are self-serve bars for curry and soups, a deli with pre-made salads and lunch items, an in-house butcher and a fresh flower section.

If you've ever wanted to grind your own nut butter, Fresh St. Market is the place to go. You can choose from peanut butter, almond butter, or chocolate peanut butter. All you have to do is push a button.

You can also shop for kitchenware and some locally made items like reusable paper towels and mugs from Now Designs, or handcrafted soaps by Noori Soap. 

As to be expected, Fresh St. Market has been busy for its first two days, but the lines to enter the store move fairly quickly. You can enter from outside or through the food court. Carts and baskets are available, and sanitization stands are readily available. 

In terms of price, Fresh St. Market is pretty middle of the road. You may end up spending more than you anticipated, but only because you end up buying more than you intended. It's hard not to, as there are displays set up everywhere you look. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Brie Welton or call (250) 819-3723 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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